Chronic pancreatitis is a long-standing inflammation of the pancreas that alters the organ's normal structure and functions. It can present as episodes of acute inflammation in a previously injured pancreas, or as chronic damage with persistent pain or malabsorption.

Sperm Meets Egg: Weeks 1 to 3 of Pregnancy. Something magical is about to happen! Watch as the ovulation process occurs, and then millions of sperm swim upstream on a quest to fertilize an egg. ... The egg travels down the fallopian tube, pushed by tiny hairs and awaits the arrival or sperm.

MUSC Children’s Health offers South Carolina’s only Level 1 Children’s Surgery Center, representing excellence in inpatient surgery at MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital, as well as outpatient surgery at R. Keith Summey Medical Pavilion. These two state-of-the-art facilities are equipped with a team of pediatric board-certified providers utilizing pediatric-specific devices and the most technologically advanced tools.

Interventional Nephrology is a new and emerging subspecialty of Nephrology that mainly deals with ultrasonography of kidneys and ultrasound-guided renal biopsy, insertion of peritoneal dialysis catheters, tunneled dialysis catheters as a vascular access for patients undergoing hemodialysis as well as percutaneous ...

Sciatica is often characterized by one or more of the following symptoms: Constant pain in only one side of the buttock or leg (rarely in both legs) Pain that is worse when sitting Leg pain that is often described as burning, tingling, or searing (versus a dull ache) Weakness, numbness, or difficulty moving the leg, foot, and/or toes A sharp pain that may make it difficult to stand up or walk Pain that radiates down the leg and possibly into the foot and toes (it rarely occurs only in the foot) Sciatica Causes and Treatments Video Watch: Sciatica Causes and Treatments Video Sciatic pain can vary from infrequent and irritating to constant and incapacitating. Symptoms are usually based on the location of the pinched nerve. While symptoms can be painful and potentially debilitating, it is rare that permanent sciatic nerve damage (tissue damage) will result, and spinal cord involvement is possible but rare.

Autoimmune hepatitis is liver inflammation that occurs when your body's immune system turns against liver cells. The exact cause of autoimmune hepatitis is unclear, but genetic and environmental factors appear to interact over time in triggering the disease. Untreated autoimmune hepatitis can lead to scarring of the liver (cirrhosis) and eventually to liver failure. When diagnosed and treated early, however, autoimmune hepatitis often can be controlled with drugs that suppress the immune system. A liver transplant may be an option when autoimmune hepatitis doesn't respond to drug treatments or when liver disease is advanced.

Management of postpartum hemorrhage at vaginal delivery. The approach to treatment of postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) differs somewhat depending on the cause and whether hemorrhage occurs after a vaginal birth or after a cesarean delivery.

Zinc deficiency symptoms include growth and development problems, hair loss, diarrhea, impotence, eye and skin conditions, and loss of appetite. Other symptoms may include weight loss, delayed wound healing, taste changes, and mental slowness.

An intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) is a mechanical device that helps the heart pump blood. This device is inserted into the aorta, the body's largest artery. It is a long, thin tube called a catheter with a balloon on the end of it. If you are hospitalized, your doctor may insert an IABP.

The essential components of the human cardiovascular system are the heart, blood and blood vessels. It includes the pulmonary circulation, a "loop" through the lungs where blood is oxygenated; and the systemic circulation, a "loop" through the rest of the body to provide oxygenated blood.

Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a form of fibromyalgia where pain and stiffness occurs in muscles, tendons, and ligaments throughout the body, accompanied by other generalized symptoms such as fatigue, sleep disruption or unrefreshing sleep, mood disorder, and cognitive difficulties such as poor memory or mental ...

Antiarrhythmics are drugs that are used to treat abnormal heart rhythms resulting from irregular electrical activity of the heart. There are many different types of antiarrhythmic drugs. Examples include: Amiodarone (Cordarone) Flecainide (Tambocor) Procainamide (Procanbid) Sotalol (Betapace) In addition, there are other types of heart drugs that can be used to treat arrhythmias, including: Beta-blockers such as metoprolol or Toprol XL, which reduce the heart's workload and heart rate. Calcium channel blockers such as verapamil or Calan, which also reduces the heart rate.

The voice box, or larynx, has three important functions. It is necessary for breathing, voice and swallowing. The vocal folds have two positions, open (apart) for breathing (picture I) and closed (together) for making sound, coughing and sealing off the lungs when swallowing (picture II). When one of the vocal folds are paralyzed, it usually rests in an in-between position (picture III), and neither opens for breathing, nor closes for voicing, coughing, or swallowing. Usually, the effects on the voice are the most dramatic. The voice becomes weak and breathy. People can only say a few words per breath, and are frequently out-of-breath, or physically tired when trying to speak for more than a few minutes straight. The voice may also get somewhat high and squeaky, with a diminished range. Swallowing may be affected as well, where you may notice some choking or coughing with certain liquids. Your cough is frequently different and very weak. This is a serious problem for patients with with vocal fold paralysis because one of the most important functions of the larynx is to keep liquids out of the lungs, and to be able to cough up mucus. When this does not happen, you are at risk for getting an "aspiration" pneumonia. The surgical procedure to restore these important functions is called "medialization laryngoplasty"

Mastectomy is surgery to remove all breast tissue from a breast as a way to treat or prevent breast cancer. For those with early-stage breast cancer, mastectomy may be one treatment option. Breast-conserving surgery (lumpectomy), in which only the tumor is removed from the breast, may be another option.

A leaking mitral valve allows blood to flow in two directions during the contraction. Some blood flows from the ventricle through the aortic valve – as it should – and some blood flows back into the atrium. A leaking (or regurgitant) aortic valve allows blood to flow in two directions. Oxygen-rich blood either flows out through the aorta to the body – as it should – or it flows backwards from the aorta into the left ventricle when the ventricle relaxes. Leaking valves can cause the heart to work harder to pump the same amount of blood.

Watch that video to know if it is safe to have oral sex or not